What are the key standards and codes for process piping layout and routing in your industry and region?

Always best to confer with the appropriate expert in these area who use them and keep up with them regularly. It’s a more dynamic environment than ever before!

Standards and codes are rules for designing, installing, and maintaining piping systems. They ensure quality and safety. Developed by different organizations.

Standards and codes provide a common language for collaboration and ensure the safety of piping systems by minimizing risks. They also enhance efficiency and compliance with legal requirements.

Of course there are two major considerations in most applications. 1) where other circumstances and parameters lead the placement of equipment and thus the piping is laid out in the best manner according to criteria for distribution. 2) in early stage planning the equipment may be placed in a balance with the piping layout such as to optimize the distribution in a symmetrical basis so that pressure drops and other considerations are minimized and taken into account. Actually careful planning can save energy for example in a manner other than a straight line with equipment in a row where the pumping pressure required would be much higher to reach user points.

When choosing standards and codes for a piping project, consider factors like type, size, and industry. Identify project scope and criteria.

The last statement sums up a lot. Using the correct standards&codes in combination with qualified installation personnel makes for a great start-up. Without the documentation though it is harder to make changes because the basis-of-design is lost. A Management Of Change system at your organization can benefit you a lot down the road.

Today with the internet a wide variety of resource are easily made available to reference. Documented up to date publications as well as reliable experts in each area. Also which can be refined for more specific or detailed areas of specialty.

The food industry adds complexity for design and layout. You are designing for two processes, product and CIP: two very different conditions -- fluids properties are different, temperature and pressures are different, flows are different, etc. You need to consider sanitary design in the placement of instruments and components, be careful not to have dead legs, draining, slopes, etc. And you of course have to make it esthetically pleasing!

In addition to the codes and standards, I've seen many examples of poor piping layout. The piping met all pressure, temperature and pipe stress requirements, but the layout did not meet good engineering practice. I see this most often with the suction piping of pumps where lines are undersized, there are lots of elbows or someone put a filter or strainer in the suction line causing pump cavitation. In other cases, I have seen poor piping layouts that don't allow for thermal expansion. If you are lucky these mistakes get caught during piping stress reviews... if the reviews are actually done. In severe cases, you don't need to pick up a calculator to know the pipe stress calculation is going to fail!

You may also need to look across functions for requirements. Don't be putting piping and conduit inside a clean room where laminar air flow is critical to performance. The pipes go in the service corridor.